May 10, 2020 ST. JOHN LUTHERAN CHURCH Purpose: Joyfully taking God’s love into the world! Dear St. John friends, May 6, 2020 Back in March when COVID-19 first entered our lives, we don’t think any of us expected the changes we’ve made in our lives and continue with six weeks later. And yet, in this unexpected time, we’ve found things we can rejoice in. Our online worship services continue to be opportunities to “feed your soul” with Word, prayer and music. (A special thank you to Nick Mixdorf for his willingness to step forward and help produce those services each week as our Online Worship Technician!) The week prior to Holy Week, volunteers sent cards to over 150 families in our congregation so that every household with members age 60 and older received contact from someone in the congregation. And our “rainbow of hope” thank you for the coronavirus workers hanging in the front west windows at church received a shout-out in a recent Northeastern Iowa Synod newsletter. It was with surprise that we learned last week of the Governor’s proclamation to allow spiritual and religious gath- erings in Iowa. At St. John, we take the health and well-being of our congregation, staff and community very seriously. In light of the recommendation of the Black Hawk County Health Department that folks continue to stay at home when possible, participate in no social gatherings, and follow CDC self-isolation guidelines since the COVID-19 numbers remain high in our area, we are continuing with our current plan of online services. This decision lines up with a letter we recently received from the Northeastern Iowa Synod office in addition to an Ecumenical Statement about Religious Gatherings (they included) recommending the continuation of online wor- ship. As the letter reminds us, “We are all making important sacrifices for the sake of the neighbor and the common good. We want to gather with our communities in this difficult time. We want to gather in the place where we hear the Word of God and receive the Sacraments. Yet we are staying home in order to protect those most vulnerable in our community. We are staying home in order to do our part to flatten the curve of the virus, so that our healthcare system is not overwhelmed. We are making sacrifices out of concern for others. We are choosing the path of love even though it is hard. This is a power- ful Christian witness.” The decision of when to resume worshipping together in person is one that we will be making thoughtfully and prayerfully, with a clear plan that not only allows us to emotionally and spiritually care for the people in our church family, but also protects them physically. At this point in time, we continue to evaluate this decision on a week-by-week basis as we watch what happens here in Black Hawk County. As we prepare to reopen, we will communicate with you what that may look like. We look forward with hope for the day that we CAN worship together at St. John – at a time when we can gather safely as one faith community. As you have in recent days, continue to minister to one another through prayer, cards, phone calls, emails and random acts of kindness. Be an example in our community of joyfully taking God’s love in to the world! In Christ, St John Church Council and Staff
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May 10, 2020
ST. JOHN LUTHERAN CHURCH Purpose: Joyfully taking God’s love into the world!
Dear St. John friends, May 6, 2020
Back in March when COVID-19 first entered our lives, we don’t think any of us expected the changes we’ve
made in our lives and continue with six weeks later. And yet, in this unexpected time, we’ve found things we can
rejoice in. Our online worship services continue to be opportunities to “feed your soul” with Word, prayer and
music. (A special thank you to Nick Mixdorf for his willingness to step forward and help produce those services
each week as our Online Worship Technician!) The week prior to Holy Week, volunteers sent cards to over 150
families in our congregation so that every household with members age 60 and older received contact from
someone in the congregation. And our “rainbow of hope” thank you for the coronavirus workers hanging in the
front west windows at church received a shout-out in a recent Northeastern Iowa Synod newsletter.
It was with surprise that we learned last week of the Governor’s proclamation to allow spiritual and religious gath-
erings in Iowa. At St. John, we take the health and well-being of our congregation, staff and community very
seriously. In light of the recommendation of the Black Hawk County Health Department that folks continue to
stay at home when possible, participate in no social gatherings, and follow CDC self-isolation guidelines since
the COVID-19 numbers remain high in our area, we are continuing with our current plan of online services. This
decision lines up with a letter we recently received from the Northeastern Iowa Synod office in addition to an
Ecumenical Statement about Religious Gatherings (they included) recommending the continuation of online wor-
ship. As the letter reminds us,
“We are all making important sacrifices for the sake of the neighbor and the common good. We
want to gather with our communities in this difficult time. We want to gather in the place where we
hear the Word of God and receive the Sacraments. Yet we are staying home in order to protect
those most vulnerable in our community. We are staying home in order to do our part to flatten the
curve of the virus, so that our healthcare system is not overwhelmed. We are making sacrifices
out of concern for others. We are choosing the path of love even though it is hard. This is a power-
ful Christian witness.”
The decision of when to resume worshipping together in person is one that we will be making thoughtfully and
prayerfully, with a clear plan that not only allows us to emotionally and spiritually care for the people in our
church family, but also protects them physically. At this point in time, we continue to evaluate this decision on a
week-by-week basis as we watch what happens here in Black Hawk County. As we prepare to reopen, we will
communicate with you what that may look like.
We look forward with hope for the day that we CAN worship together at St. John – at a time when we can gather
safely as one faith community. As you have in recent days, continue to minister to one another through prayer,
cards, phone calls, emails and random acts of kindness. Be an example in our community of joyfully taking
God’s love in to the world!
In Christ, St John Church Council and Staff
As Christians, we turn to God in times of fear and uncertainty as we do in times of joy and celebration. We pray for God’s heart of love, mercy, and truth to dwell in us and show us how to face the challenges posed by the new coronavirus.
Pray for people who are infected with COVID-19 or facing quarantine. Jesus, during Your ministry on Earth You showed Your power and caring by healing people of all ages and sta-tions of life from physical, mental, and spiritual ailments. Be present now to people who need Your loving touch because of COVID-19. May they feel Your power of healing through the care of doctors and nurses. Take away the fear, anxiety, and feelings of isolation from people receiving treatment or under quarantine. Give them a sense of purpose in pursuing health and protecting others from exposure to the disease. Protect their families and friends and bring peace to all who love them. Pray for people at higher risk of developing the disease. Dear Lord, we lift to You our concern for people who are more likely than others to become severely ill from COVID-19 — the elderly and people with chronic health conditions. Protect them from harm and be their comfort in this time of uncertainty. Pray for medical professionals, caregivers, researchers, and leaders responsible for decisions about fighting the new coronavirus. Father, we seek Your wisdom daily. Be with people making decisions that affect the lives and futures of our fami-lies, communities, countries, and the wider world. Inspire and invigorate people developing better tests to diag-nose the virus, vaccines to prevent it, and protocols and communication to eliminate the disease’s spread. May truth and empathy be the touchstones of people setting policies for our protection.
Healing & Concern. . .
Nonie Duff; Carl & Sue (Kelly Turner’s relatives); Holly Prohaska; Paul & Nancy Bri-